You know, if you are so full of rage because you hate yourself or whiteys or authority or because of chemical imbalance, go fu%!$@ play football or something. Don't fu%!$@# be a baseball player on a team trying to make the playoffs. So there. :mad:

trying my best to imitate Schmidty

Bucc, I hear that if you're not doing anything this week, there's an opening for Padres outfielder.

SI

Wow, are the Braves really only three games out of the Wild Card race? Sure, it's a long shot, but nice to see them making a race of it. They do start a 3 game series with the Phils tonight. They definitely need a sweep if they have any hope.

Let's go Fran-co! *CLAP**CLAP* *CLAP**CLAP**CLAP*

Prince Fielder becomes the youngest player ever to hit 50 home runs. He is 23.

It's hard not to think that if Ryan Braun had been up the whole year, he'd have had over 40 as he spent six weeks in AAA and still has 33 home runs in the bigs at age 23 (44 if you count his time in AAA).

This is the best young offensive duo in the majors, bar none.

I disagree completly.

Maybe from a pure power perspective they are tops but I would put them behind Howard/ Rollins and Howard// Utley.

Cabrera/Hanley Rameriz are also pretty potent

Should be one hell of a week in the NL this week.

(Stinking Phillies bullpen or they could be leading the division now) :mad:

I can definitely see Cabrera/Ramirez, but Howard (27), Rollins (28), and Utley (28) aren't exactly what I would consider young.

Also, when defensive value is factored in you have to include Wright/Reyes.

Fuck the phillies, fuck them up their stupid asses. They always do this shit to me.

Fucking Giants!

What the hell, I thought the damn Giants would at least take this one. UGH.

Man, the Braves were this close to being only 2 games back.

Even more reason to hate the Giants.

Sweet. As a Giants fan, I'm rooting for the draft picks at this point.

I suppose since they are going to be in the top 15 you can't sign another aging type A and give them up.

(Stinking Mets bullpen or they would've clinched the division two weeks ago)

From a pure power perspective?

2007 numbers
Ryan Howard .264/.389/.568
Jimmy Rollins .293/.342/.529
Chase Utley .336/.415/.576
M. Cabrera .320/.399/.565
H. Ramirez .333/.388/.561

P. Fielder .291/.392/.625
R. Braun .322/.367/.630

I think it is pretty clear that Fielder has had a superior year to Howard and Braun's year isn't all power numbers like you imply. These two guys aren't .250 hitters that hit a lot of home runs. They are the complete package, offensively.

Then you consider that I was talking about young players, like somebody already mentioned, Howard, Rollins, and Utley are hardly young.

The only argument anybody could have is with Cabrera and Ramirez, but I still believe that Fielder and Braun are superior hitters to both.

So how's that Burgos/Bannister trade treating you guys? Lord knows we're happy with "the guy who wouldn't make it with the Mets" as a lot of people were touting. Tho he has run out of steam in September and gotten cuffed around in short starts, but 12-7 with a 3.16 as of September 2nd. But we're definitely liking his chances for starter #2/3 next season with Meche and Greinke.

SI

I was one of them, but I would be thankful for what you're getting this year and hope he can be a 4 or 5 next season. Unless you have a power sinker you don't get far with 4k per 9.

With that said, it looks like the Royals will get the better of this regardless. Even this one season may provide more value than the Mets get out of Burgos.

Bannister was mediocre for us, I'm sorry. He was very good during his first run through the lineup and then would get smacked around during the second trip through. He strained a hamstring and was out 4 months, having to get shut down repeatedly during his rehab every time he made a bit of progress. His last two starts for us were awful.

I'd say not to get too ahead of yourself with your expectations of him, because he seemed like a nice kid so I hope he has a lot of success for you guys before he eventually goes to another team :).

Meanwhile, I'll continue to hope Minaya takes chances when trading pitchers who display their mediocrity for hard-throwers. If for every one that misses like Burgos, there's two like Jae Seo for Duaner Sanchez, who was probably the best set-up man in baseball last year before his injury, and Roberto Hernandez for Oliver Perez, I'll be perfectly happy.

A #3 starter in KC != #3 starter for the Mets so I don't think the expectations are too high. He worked pretty deep into a lot of games for KC which is why the hope: he had a stretch where he went 6 or more for 16 of 18 starts so perhaps he's turned a bit of a corner but that's probably also why he ran out of steam since there were some 7, 8, and 9 inning starts where Buddy would just throw him out there when it was clear he was laboring through that last inning.

That said, he can't strike out anyone and a big danger sign but it's not as if they're locking him up to a long term contract tomorrow.

SI

Let's go Nats!!!

You know what, I'm on the bandwagon. Besides Wright, Alou, and Marlon Anderson, there's not a guy on this team I could give a shit about right now.

I hate the Mets.

Come on Pads, give Peav some runs.

Amen, it's fantasy playoffs week and I need a win.

Picking Peavy in the late 1st/early 2nd this season was one of the easiest decisions ever in the history of fantasy baseball for me- he had to have been hurt last year as there's no way a pitcher comes down that fast and hard from years of great performances. The only other one I can really remember was Maddux in 2000- coming off of his insane years, he had one little glitch in 1999 and dropped down to like a 3rd or 4th round pick and I had an easy ace in every league.

SI

Peavy is right where he was supposed to be this year (as one of the best SP in baseball). Last year was certainly an abberation as he was pitching most of the year with tendenitis in his shoulder.

This just in: Jake Peavy got run support (8-2 Pads in the 5th)

All of a sudden, the races in the NL have just gotten tighter than can be. Even the Mets, who looked like the only real lock coming into the week, could be in danger of missing the playoffs with a cold week and a hot week by the Phils and whoever takes the wild card (since whoever emerges from a cluster like that is usually pretty hot).

SI

Yippee!

Mets, Phils, D-Backs, Padres, Rockies. Two of these teams aren't going to make the playoffs, but which? Arizona has the best record in the NL even with the loss tonight at 88-70. Mets and Padres (assuming the lead hold) at 87-71. Phils and Rockies (again assuming lead holds) at 86-72. It's pretty crazy to realize any sort of losing streak will take any of these teams out of the playoffs altogether being bunched together like this for the last four games.

Truly, the most remarkable performance has to be Colorado, though. Working on 10 straight wins, they actually could be going into their series with the D-Backs this weekend contesting for the division title, which is incredible considering they were, what, six games or so down a week ago.

The Pads playoffs starts tonight and Peavy will not likely pitch in the series. The only time he had pitched on 3-days was a disaster. It's all going to be close but I don't know if I'm glad or not to see the Rocks playing the Backs.

Its fun watching the Cubs try to give away a 3 game lead in the last week of the season. Really it is.

If the Rockies manage to make the playoffs, I'm going to one of the NLDS games down in Denver. I don't know if they can pull it off, but...it'd be nice to go to a playoff baseball game for once.

What happens if the Phillies, Mets, Diamondbacks, Rockies and Padres all finish with the same record?

All 5 may not be possible, but I could see at least a 3 way tie. I would assume that they break the division ties first?

I believe it's decided by which team had the most players in the All-Star game, followed by which team's players had the most home runs in the HR Derby. After that I'm not really sure.

Also, I'm fairly suprised the Yankees actually made the postseason. It wasn't looking too good around the allstar break.

Funny, but ESPN has a different answer to the several team tied scenario.
http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=3038686

holy fuck.

That's way too in depth.

When was the last time we had 7(8 if we're counting the Braves) teams in the NL still in the playoff picture with 4 games to go?

This will be fun to watch.

Amen. This is good for baseball. Its amazing that with 5 games left, no team has clinched a playoff spot in the NL. That's surreal.

I'm going to the last regular season Phillies game this weekend, taking my daughter to her first baseball game. I'm hoping it all comes down to that last game.

Good luck dude. I like the Phillies (or more accurately, I'm not a fan of the Mets), so I'm rooting for them and the Brewers.

I'd like to see the any of the Braves, Brewers, Padres, and Cubs.

You're just rooting for the Braves to make the playoffs because of Julio Franco (who won't even make the playoff roster). :)

Haha. He's pushed it over the top. I actually liked the Braves as a second or third team (behind the Blue Jays and Expos) awhile ago, because of Fred McGriff and Greg Maddux. Although I wasn't a fan until after 1993 sometime.

But I stopped liking them so much for awhile, and now the whole Julio Franco thing has me cheering for them again. ;)

Yes, but, of course, the wild card is bad for baseball :rolleyes:

SI

The Pads got a good jump on the Brews. If they win out, then it really doesn't matter. But it'll be close.

I am on such a freaking natural high right now!!!!!!!

This is going to be one hell of a weekend, no matter how it turns out. I would love to be able to land tickets for Sunday.

..

Pros and Cons

See the Red Sox/Yankees "race".

That being said, the NL is going to be a lot of fun this weekend.

Wow. 5 errors for the Brewers in 6 innings. Not that I am complaining...